Open Access : Making your research freely accessible online

Citation advantage over publications available for a fee, as open access helps to maximise views and downloads

Can lead to new research students at universities and help kick-start new collaborations between researchers

Most funders such as RCUK and Wellcome Trust require publications to be made available on an open access basis

Greater visibility for universities and the type of research they do

Those who actually provide the money for publicly-funded research (i.e. tax-payers) will have access to the research they have funded

Book chapters and monographs are increasingly being included

HEFCE policy states that from 1st April 2016, if universities want research papers to be included in the next REF, they have to be deposited in an open access repository within three months of being accepted

The newly established Charity Open Access Fund (COAF) will cover the cost of article processing charges (APCs) for peer-reviewed research, funded wholly or partly by one or more of these charities: Arthritis Research UK, Breast Cancer Campaign, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and Wellcome Trust. COAF funds may only be used to pay open access article processing charges, not to cover other charges that some journals may levy, such as page and colour charges. Where these apply, researchers must use other funds to meet these costs.